The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is India's foundational legal framework for regulating food safety, quality standards, and public health protection throughout the food supply chain. It consolidates previously fragmented food-related laws into a unified system and established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as the central regulatory body. The FSSAI is responsible for setting science-based standards governing food manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import.

Core Objectives: The Act ensures food available to consumers is safe, wholesome, and fit for human consumption. It prevents adulteration, misbranding, unsafe ingredients, and deceptive practices by implementing an integrated, risk-based food governance system rather than fragmented product-based controls.

Key Provisions: Mandatory FSSAI registration or licensing for Food Business Operators (FBOs) Food safety management systems and operational compliance packaging, labeling, and contaminant standards Product recall obligations and additive controls, Import compliance requirements, authority to conduct inspections, sampling, and enforcement actions, strict penalties for unsafe or sub-standard food Business ImpactT. he Act requires food compliance to be a strategic operational priority for businesses across manufacturing, hospitality, retail, e-commerce, imports, and exports. It strengthens consumer trust, enhances public health safeguards, and enforces market accountability through comprehensive food governance that balances business growth with consumer protection.